Five Marmion wrestlers scaled the top of the podium as Class 2A state champions in February at the University of Illinois' Assembly Hall.

Only two will have the chance to defend their crowns as Cadets after a series of transfers, though the scramble isn't as heightened as the defections would suggest..

Jered Cortez (112 pounds), Ben Whitford (130) and Bryce Brill (135) left the school at the end of the acamdeic year, but with top juniors Cody Snodgrass and Stanley Sullivan transferring in, the Cadets have some balance in the second half of their lineup.

"They're not the first kids to transfer in and out at any school I've been at," Marmion coach Dean Branstetter said. "It's frustrating because you get a guy as a freshman and you expect to guide him through all four years, but I'm 24 years into my career, so you learn how to handle it better when you're in your 40s."

Resilience has been a trademark of the Cadets' brand since Branstetter started a program that will enter just its 10th season this fall.

Wrestlers took their lumps for several seasons before everything started to take off. Nine of a possible 14 Cadets advanced to state in 2010 and two won individual titles ahead of Marmion's berth in the team duals state tournament.

This past winter, 10 Cadets made the trek downstate, with all five finalists winning.

Cortez and Brill joined Jimenez as freshmen champions, while Whitford won his second state title in as many tries as a sophomore. Cortez and Brill's decisions stemmed from discomfort with the private-school atmosphere at Marmion, Branstetter said, but Whitford's departure was different.

His father found work back in the family's former home, Michigan, leaving the powerhouse Whitford to try to cap what's already been a glorious career in another Great Lakes state.

"A four-time champ is a four time champ," Branstetter said," "but I think it sounds better if it's in one state than, you know, two and two. I would assume he's going to stay on track with his goal. He's just so solid."

Whitford suffered the lone loss of his high school career last season, but was not the only Cadet to roll through the winter with little incident. Jimenez was unbeaten against opponents from Illinois, and allowed just two points during the state tournament. Eddie Greco navigated a handful of early-season shifts through the lineup to take fourth at 125 pounds.

Last month, Angelo Silvestro – a Geneva resident – placed third at the U.S. Freestyle Nationals in Fargo, N.D., competing at 140 pounds. Silvestro, a senior, channeled a controversial state tournament loss to register his best career finish at Fargo, which always provides a stiff test.

"Some of the kids are going to good colleges and some are tough seniors, so I had to be focused on the match and more mentally tough than the guys across from me," Silvestro said.

As three wrestlers with bright futures leave campus, the same goes for the Cadets across the board.

"In a way, this affects us for national recognition, but it's not always about that," Silvestro said. "We've got new guys coming in and still have high expectations, and we'll be ready to go after it."